Never Second Best
His wife left him to raise their three children and fight for his foster son alone. Now, Seth refuses to ever be second best again. Lucy has loved Seth for years knowing she would never be more than a friend. Can she ever believe his words of love are meant for her?
Who is Erebus?
Once you meet him in The Intern you will want answers to Who is Erebus! Cue the cold shower. More steam than a sauna. You’re welcome.
Before there was a choice, there was a love story
Professed Love - You can't choose who to love - or deny love when it happens. Can you?
Short prequel to The Uni Student and The Intern. Absolutely free.
Once Upon a Love Story – He never believed in love, until he met the woman who believed in him. To understand their future, you need to understand that once upon a time, theirs was a love story.
Short prequel to The Unfaithful Wife and The Intern. Absolutely free.
Sneak Peak: The Intern
Jade
Jade Wallstone cursed as she tripped while zipping up her long black boots. Stumbling from the Professor’s office with tears in her eyes, still too hurt and angry about the way their relationship ended to stand in front of him and plead for forgiveness.
“You stupid bitch, you can’t do that to me and get away with it!” he screamed at her through the closed door. Kneeling, with one hand she smoothed her skirt and stuffed her underwear back in her bag – she should have put them back on in the office but all she wanted to do was run.
Gasping between tears, she looked up at the heavy door now between them, longing to go back half an hour to when she was a student going to her professor for an end or semester discussion. A woman going to her lover for an end of semester celebration. A time before he proved she meant nothing to him and her heart lay shattered on his office floor.
The elevator took forever to open. Any moment, a group of students or, worse, other lecturers might come by and draw their own conclusions.
Too late for their judgement, she thought, leaning against the wall of the lift as the doors closed and gave her tears the privacy they deserved. For a year the Professor wanted her in every way imaginable and she never felt more desired, wanted and loved. He saw past her shyness and opened her body to explore her sensuality and opened her mind to dream of life after university.
For a year, Jade justified their relationship in her head and heart because he convinced her it was special, dismissing her concerns about their age difference and their student – teacher relationship with kisses in places that silenced her common sense. With every touch he claimed her body for his own.
Weekends away at vineyards, evenings in the city at the finest restaurants and weeknights curled up in his bed sharing crosswords. She thought they were happy, the perfect couple.
The elevator doors opened, and tears still stung her eyes as she pushed through the corridors, past other students celebrating the end of semester exams and their freedom.
An affair with her teacher – a well-worn cliché that ended as badly as her friends had warned. Now, she needed to find a safe place to figure out how to move on not only with university but her life. A life without Professor Geoffrey Swains.
Crossing the courtyard away from the campus and towards the café and restaurant precinct, the crowd of students thinned. A whiff of ginger, turmeric, cumin and spices reminded her of home cooking. Mummy. What she wouldn’t give for her mother’s arms around her and telling her things would be okay. Without thinking, she opened the ornate red and gold door and was greeted warmly by the manageress who took her in.
“Come, child, you girls are all so thin. Let me get some broth into you while you order, I haven’t seen you here before? No?”
Jade protested, “You don’t have to, I’m fine.”
“Nonsense – my customers are my family and my broth always cures tears.”
In the empty restaurant, surrounded by the smells of childhood, Jade felt closer to family.
No matter what challenge either at sport or school, failure had never been an option or an outcome. Her father served his country and once retired, he and his Chinese bride made family their priority.
Jade smiled, remembering how proud her mother always was of her, telling family and friends “My Jade didn’t have to apply for the universities – they came to her,” forgetting her school submitted the application on her behalf. “My Jade got offers from all the group universities,” confusing group with “Group of 8” sandstone universities. Her mother’s pride was embarrassing but also endearing. Finally, “My Jade got a full scholarship,” the achievement Jade held closest to her heart.
If failure wasn’t an option, neither was giving up. Somehow, she needed to move past today. To put all the memories of Geoffrey in a locked box inside her heart – never to be opened. Be smarter, work harder and prove to herself …
What did she need to prove? Never to make the same mistakes again. Like loving a man who could never and would never love her back. Or allowing someone in a position of power to control her success. Most importantly, she would never, ever, allow her feelings for another person define her life.
The meal arrived and with it her new and still shaky resolve. Yes, he failed her but so what? Next semester, she’d come back stronger and he would not dare to fail her twice!
The peace was broken by a bell on top of the door clanging loudly to announce the arrival of more customers.
Jade knew Robert, Sizzi and Jay from her various classes and the Chinese Students and Scholars Association. The others were vaguely familiar by face but not by name.
She shared a glance with Robert and tried to smile and straighten her shoulders. Time to pretend her world had not come crashing down. Unfortunately, he took the smile as an invitation to join her table. Within moments he was performing introductions and the silence was replaced with scraping chairs and chatter.
Oh, to be young and as innocent as this group, Jade thought as chattered away, trying to organize some stupid Chinese Festival at the university.
Instead of talking about food stalls and markets, why couldn’t they think bigger. Work together instead of yelling over the top of each other. She couldn’t help noticing how Robert used his gentle nature to listen and referee between conflicting ideas.
Jade avoided meeting anyone’s eyes as his calmness soothed her nerves. Perhaps by embracing Robert and his friends – and this Festival thing – she could distract herself from mooning over Geoffrey and give her something to tell her mother other than the failed unit.
She bit her lips to stop the pain reaching her eyes. Geoffrey. One stupid decision. As she slumped, Robert murmured, “Are you okay?”
His sweet concern made her feel worse, “Excuse me,” she rushed from the table to the ladies room. Her palms pressed against the mirror, she forced herself to look at the face of the girl who had dared to believe she could change a man.
Oh, to relive the memories of their first time when she was unsuspecting and still believed in romantic fairytales.
From the beginning of the semester, Jade had felt nothing was out of reach – tutors loved her and all students wanted to study partner with her. Best of all, after only one week, the most amazing Professor personally invited her to come by his office and see an old research paper that she might find interesting.
Now, thinking back, she realized the Professor never meant it as an innocent invitation – he knew she couldn’t refuse either the invitation or his charms once she arrived.
“Please, sit with me so I can talk you through the figures.” Another innocent – not innocent – invitation.
Blinded by his attention, Jade joined him on the couch. Comforted by the scent of old wooden furniture and his musk cologne as their heads almost touched pouring over the papers as he took time explaining the finer concepts.
He was powerful, aristocratic with a subtle British accent – all man. The stubble on his face. She wondered if it would b
e rough or soft to the touch – watching words come from the lips she had the urge to trace.
“Stop it!” Jade banged the bathroom sink, not wanting but needing to remember everything. Those careless thoughts led to this point. She tore at her hair as if she could rip the memories out of her head. It was too late – as she flashed back to the moment when Geoffrey stopped talking and sought her eyes. When he raised one eyebrow and smiled. An invitation or kindness? Jade looked away, not wanting to confuse a Professor trying to help a student with the feelings she was having towards him, the man.
Looking back, Jade found no confusion in Geoffrey’s mind as he leant in and gave her the lightest of kisses. If only she reacted – pulled away and resisted. He would have passed it off as a misunderstanding with an apology. No affair and no broken heart. Instead, Geoffrey used his experience to draw Jade into his aura one gentle kiss leading her to crave the next.
Jade splashed water on her face, remembering what followed. Geoffrey’s hand on her knee, running it up her leg almost inviting her to stop him. She did not want to resist – not that he gave her any time as his hand moved up her dress with her sensible briefs his first resistance. Pulling away briefly, he smiled, “What do we have here? Do you want me to take a break?”
Her last chance to redeem herself, instead a barely whimpered, “No.”
“Are you sure?” his words offered her options yet the kisses on her neck and his fingers denied her the strength to push him away.
“I’m sure.”
Geoffrey slid his fingers down and worked her until she pleaded with him for more.
Her first time with a man started passively as she allowed Geoffrey to make each move and set the pace.
Her body was alive to a man’s touch – how could she have lived so long without experiencing this heaven of giving herself? Nodding, she lay back to enjoy whatever he wanted.
A willing participant, a willing victim. Jade closed her eyes, unable to face herself and surrendering to the memory.
Geoffrey had laid her back on the couch as he moved top of her willing body. Surreal. Other than her panties which lay somewhere on the other side of the room, she was still fully clothed, yet fully at the mercy of this man’s hands and anything else he had for her.
After, came his denials. “I didn’t mean for that to happen,” he lied. “You are so beautiful, I couldn’t control myself and resist you any longer.” She wanted to believe him.
“Professor,” the guilt of lying back satisfied, without giving him anything in return.
“No, this has happened too fast.” He kissed her fingertips.
“I want you to go away and think. I want you. I want you more than I should. But it would be wrong, and we can’t let anyone find out. At least while you are a student here.”
Geoffrey had helped her up and showed her to his office door. “I will ask you a question in class tomorrow. If you answer ‘Yes’, then I would love to take you out for dinner tomorrow night. If you answer ‘No’, then I hope you will accept my apologies and pretend as if this night didn’t happen.”
Geoffrey gallantly kissed her hand and closed the door, probably knowing she would say “Yes.” His plan all along to give her the illusion of having control.
Jade shook off her remaining thoughts of Geoffrey, rubbing her face with paper towel to erase the final memories. As she returned to the table, Jade shook her hands, determined to find a way forward.
“What do you think we should do for the Festival?” Sizzi asked as soon as she sat down.
The answer seemed so easy to Jade – big personalities with small ideas. Competing with other events over the campus instead of something massive – with an impact.
“What if we coordinate the Festival with universities all over the world – a 48 hour Chinese cultural festival with live streaming, and coordinated activities. The world’s biggest university based festival by the world’s largest population.”
Everyone reacted immediately reaching out to contacts to see if it could work.
An innocent idea was growing as she sat and sipped her green tea. Maybe she could turn failure into the beginning of the rest of her life.
Robert
If he could have planned the perfect day, it would involve sitting around a table with Jade. Years of watching her across class rooms, vying for her attention in tutorials, all to no avail.
Most women wanted him for his money or political connections.
Not Jade. He had no doubt she’d be wildly successful after uni and make her own small fortune, and in Australia she’d need different connections than he could provide.
Still, this was one way of building a friendship that she couldn’t ignore and hopefully …
“So, little Miss Perfect, how did you go with Swains’ exam?” Robert threw out the question and instantly, he realized his mistake. Her smile disappeared. The slight bite of her lips and long blink only he recognized as her nervous tell. Why? He’d asked a simple question?
Not looking up, she started softly, slowly. “I can’t believe I absolutely lost it. I misunderstood the final, major assignment and all the exam questions that were based on it. Earlier today, Swains called me to his office. I failed the unit.”
Robert nodded, knowing all about Professor Swain’s class and how unpredictable the marking could be. He also knew that students had to pass the major assignment and the related exam questions to pass the unit.
But Jade? She was the smartest one of the year. Impossible that one exam could be her undoing. And he’d been the stupid fool to ask her the one question. Thinking it would impress her, not ever thinking it could lead to this.
Robert saw the stunned glances being shared around the table. He knew the others well enough to see the combination of disbelief and superiority. Each of them attended university bearing the burden of parental expectation. He more than most. Failure was completely unacceptable. Success instilled as an expectation from birth.
From the moment Jade walked into university and ignored offers of friendship from the Chinese community, her reputation preceded her. A confident loner who didn’t need study groups or to work with others. Amazing student, gorgeous woman. Untouchable by men or failure. Until now.
Robert admired her self confidence and independence. Raised as the eldest son of a former diplomat, he lived in the shadows of his father’s expectations. Privilege came with responsibilities. To family and country – not necessarily in that order. He struggled with finding his own identity amongst a sea of faces – yet loved the anonymity of Australian life. No one cared if he was the son of someone important – as long as he could kick a football, pull his weight in rowing sculls or pay his round of drinks.
He loved the freedom but couldn’t shake off the need to please, to impress and to make his father proud.
Unlike Jade who needed no one. Until tonight when for the first time, her vulnerability showed through and she needed a friend.
In the soft light of the restaurant and background music, Robert wanted to surround Jade with friendship. Failure may not be normal, but it could be survived. With a little help from new friends.
Jade
Breathe in, breathe out, repeat. Jade saw through the fake sympathy. Only Robert seemed genuine. She turned to him, his face lacking any judgement or pity.
Robert Zhang, tag “nice guy”. Tall and elegant with important parents, he should be the poster boy for “Perfect Chinese Student,” except for the long straight hair with a fringe he used to hide his face or pull back in a bun. Rebel? Unlikely.
The light fuzz around his face tried to hide the “pretty boy” label so easily his for the taking. Why hadn’t she noticed him as a man before?
Until today, Robert was merely her acquaintance, sometimes study partner and the only student who challenged her academically. She knew he was respected on the row team by his predominantly white team mates and was often lauded for his goal scoring prowess on the soccer field – even though she never understood th
e round ball form of football. Many a lecture study session was interrupted as he checked the European Premier League scores.
In a way, she didn’t care about what the others thought of her. Jade wanted Robert’s respect– for him to still believe in her.
“Are you going to appeal?” Robert, sweet Robert, thinking the university’s appeal process could be fair.
“Surely, he can’t fail you on one question.” Jade shrugged at all the other questions until she felt Robert’s arm around her as he closed down the interrogation.
As his arm adjusted around her, she felt protected and more sure of her future.
Robert didn’t give her the excitement of Geoffrey’s touch. His clothes didn’t smell of oak paneling and cigars. Robert’s touch felt safe, scared away her demons and self doubt. With Robert’s arm around her, she felt home.
Jade knew she needed to grieve before she could move on, but at least she didn’t feel so alone.
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Table of Contents
A Moment of Truth
She
Kitty
Moment of Truth
The Easiest Choice
Hell Hath No Fury
If whispers were wishes
I am Erebus
Wait, there’s more
Sneak Peak: The Intern
Who is Erebus: Bad Boy meets Good Girl romance (Bad Boys & Good Men Book 4) Page 12